How do you devise/design your maps?

[.ex.inferis.]

As the thread title asks, this question is for the mappers.

In terms of design, what is your approach to start a map, let alone finish it? I know some people just open the editor, start with a basic layout and go from there; others have a clear idea of what they're going for...what I wanted to know is what that process is like for some of you. The reason I ask is because I'm having trouble here. I'm new to level design, and I guess I'm looking for some sort of direction in this department? I should disclose: my aim is not to do a one-man megawad as my first project, for what little I do know is better than to do that. I'd rather do only a few maps at a time. For some reason I get mentally constipated when thinking of how the lay out should be, not the 'gimmick' of the map itself. I find that map gimmicks aren't difficult to come up with, but rather the construction of them. How do you harness your vision of what you want your map to be versus translating it into the editor? And in the same vein, could you share your creative process, if you will? It'd be interesting if one can learn from the habits/machinations of perhaps like-minded individuals.

Apologies for the wordiness, trying to word things as best I can and to provide some context as to why the question. Thanks in advance!

[ninja edit: added something to the main point]

[Nevander]

For me, it depends on the maps themselves. I'm working on a megawad myself and some of the map layouts and concepts just popped in my head from devising the overall story that the megawad is supposed to have. So for example, the eighth map is supposed to be an underground data-center type location. Before I even opened the editor, soon after I wanted to make the map be this, a design concept "appeared" in my imagination of how I would want to approach designing it.

Other maps, not so much. My sixth map is a canyon pass type map and while the design in my head was pretty convoluted, the resulting map (thusfar) isn't up to par. I don't believe starting over completely is a good choice unless the map is completely trash, but it can be added to and expanded from the imagination.

I know some mappers prefer to draw things out and make a floorplan type deal first, and that can help if you get a map idea before starting it. That map will then be much easier to design in the long run I believe. Some maps you make just "work out" as you are adding random things to them. My first five maps we far from perfect though. Eventually I decided to re-work them a bit and improve them to be more streamlined and match with my mapping skill as I went up in number of maps made.

TL;DR: It's all about either visualizing an overall map design beforehand, or working from nothing and improving as you go.

[Reactor]

It depends if you're making a simple mod or a TC. It also depends on whether or not your mod/TC has a story. For instance, if you design a campaign taking place on Phobos or Deimos, then you probably will not design North Pole or jungle levels.

Then you have to think about the actual purpose of the level. Will it be just a filler, like E1M2: Nuclear Plant, a bonus level, or perhaps a secret level with special rules? Before you lay down even one brick, it's always a good idea to construct the level in head, and then put it together in the map editor.

Also it might be useful sometimes to use OBLIGE to create a medium base (if you don't plan your level to be any special, just a filler), and then modify it to you liking, it saves a TON of work.

[camaxide]

Currently I'm making a large wad containing new weapons, monsters, textures, music, levels etc. - and for this project I had a plan from the start as to in what direction I wanted to go, and as I put down the first few maps the outline of chapter 1 was made. From there I soon after made the outline for 3 chapters (I'm currently working on chapter 2).
For the maps themselves I usually do some mind-scrapping where I come up with ideas for locations and happenings just in my head - then to draw it down on paper.
It can be architectural details, details to how certain part of a combat area should play out.
I'd like to call one area of a map for a node - and often I start out building a map around a few important nodes - then connect them in a way that makes it all go well together. Like if you look at Tricks and Traps each door goes to a new node - with the center room being the link between those nodes.
I almost always draw new areas on paper before I put them in the editor and I guess I have 100+ papers full with detail drawings made before they have gone into the editor.
When a map is half-made and I got areas that needs fleshing out, and maybe got ideas for other parts of the map to be introduced - I will make a picture of the map through Slade - and print it in high quality. Then I go to my dining table and spend some time thinking and drawing new ideas on this sheet.. if I get a few really good ideas I will head straight back and start implementing them into the editor.. then repeat.
Currently I have 4-5 unfinished maps that I'm working on at the same time. This way I can work on a given map with ideas I've had - and when I've completed all I had in mind and need more creative input I will leave it at that and work on one of the others - which I by then certainly have lots of ideas and sketches for. This way I never really run into a hold.
I can post a few sketches and details here later if interested.
Due to a very long time to produce good maps I'm still not sure if I will actually go into the third chapter - but I will certainly finish chapter 2 in 2016. time-wise the maps in Chapter 1 took between 1 and 6 weeks to finish - while I already managed to spend 2-3 months on a single map in chapter 2. hopefully I will get this time down again as I progress

[.ex.inferis.]

Thank you all for your responses, and apologies for not replying sooner. Holiday preparations, hoooo! Now, to address everything:

I know some mappers prefer to draw things out and make a floorplan type deal first, and that can help if you get a map idea before starting it.

That's what I'm trying to do. Simply opening the editor does absolutely nothing for me, but I think this is in part due to the fact that since I've still not been able to construct something I can get immersed in. I think this boils down into trying to make working with the map editor more immersive, somehow. Grids don't exactly give a lot of ambience, and something like this can only be done right if you're fully invested mentally in what you're crafting is supposed to represent. Judging from what I've read on your response and everyone else's made me realize that designing a level much more of an art form that I initially thought. That isn't a bad thing at all; I write quite a bit so thinking creatively isn't foreign to me. So this is definitely something to think about.

you have to think about the actual purpose of the level. Will it be just a filler, like E1M2: Nuclear Plant, a bonus level, or perhaps a secret level with special rules? Before you lay down even one brick, it's always a good idea to construct the level in head, and then put it together in the map editor.

This speaks to me, in volumes. It really brings together the point described above. I've never thought of it like that, and I feel really dumb about that now, haha. I always used to think about what a certain map should look like, since maps are very visual. But without its inner workings, behind the appearance? It's becomes 'just a map' and this holds very true, especially as far as the maps I enjoy the most are concerned and as far as that is concerned, the reason people make maps in the first place is to try to make something at least half as good as what inspires you. You've truly given me something to work with here.

I'd like to call one area of a map for a node - and often I start out building a map around a few important nodes - then connect them in a way that makes it all go well together. Like if you look at Tricks and Traps each door goes to a new node - with the center room being the link between those nodes.

This is great, too. It goes hand-in-hand with my previous point; the conceptualization of the map's design. Your 'node' terminology is pretty much that--the central points of the map's design and how the rest of the map is constructed around that. I love that. I also love the fact that you keep so many sheets of paper with details. I need to buy a notebook for this purpose!

Again, I am very grateful for your input, it has been extremely valuable. Thank you.

[Reactor]

I'm glad I could help you with some of my advices I'm sure if you heed them, there shall be no problems of making very atmospheric and enjoyable levels.
You see, this is why I strongly encourage people to have an actual storyline apart from "go there and kill thingz". A good storyline can very easily pave the way for the levels. What kind of levels they shall be, what'll be the environment, the layout, the enemies you shall need, the possible hazards, and anything else I can think of. If you start designing a level without any previous concepts or thoughts, they'll be blunt at the best, and complete and utter hogwash at the worst.

Not all levels must have to have a meaning, most levels are just "on the way". They are fillers alright, but until you actually get to the kidnapped princess, the evil overlord or the gigantic treasure vault, there is actual progress. Fight your way through several locations, massacre enemies on the way, and penetrate the defenses, so even filler levels have a meaning. After all, if the whole game would just focus on the evil mastermind fight, the princess, or such, it'd provide you with no satisfaction at all. If you could just teleport in, save the princess, or fight the evil mastermind right away, where's the challenge in that? Not to mention that it'd limit your designing skills severely just for one or two levels...

I'd recommend special goals or objectives for the levels with the most emphasis on them, and assign a relatively simple task for the filler levels. For instance, one of my key levels shall be Nukage Processing, as the hero requires to go there and obtain a backpack nuke, which'll play a critical role later in the story. One of the previous stages is Magma Refinery, which does not require anything special to be done - just destroy the plant, and kill everyone in it. No prisoners, no survivors.

[.ex.inferis.]

I totally get what you are saying. 'Filler' is a term that tends to get a lot of negativity because in reality, a lot of filler tends to lack in quality not just in Doom mapping but in media in general. The point is to put things in between that complete a picture; that bring everything together cohesively. And something that I love about Doom, is that while you can have a narrative through text between levels, the map design is the backbone of that. I almost see it as songs on a metal album, and the creative process behind them...I don't know if that makes much sense to anyone else, but it makes perfect sense to me.

[Reactor]

Yuh, mostly the term "filler" insists that it's something unwanted but necessary, especially when we're talking about computer games. In my opinion, "fillers" are required for the actual progress to be made. Besides, these "filler" locations are unimaginibly important for the player to gear up, get experience and alltogether get familiar with the in-game enemies, hazards, and the very environment itself. These seemingly meaningless previous stages before the great climax of the game are the actual build-up for the climax. If there are no fillers, the ending gives no feeling of achievement. And as I previously told, the player actually needs these stages to grab enough ammo, weapons, items, and experience for the big bad boss. I always turn my full attention even on insignificant "on-the-way" stages because they're by no means inferior to the climatic stages. Not to mention that they're considerably easier to pass than climatic stages, giving the player a good amount of satisfaction, and keeping adrenaline pumpin' thru his veins Also don't forget that these "filler" stages are which hide secret exits and branches to bonus stages as well. It is an extremely rare occurrence that a secret floor is available from a bossfight stage or a location, where you need to accomplish tasks rather than just reaching the exit.

Oh ye, about secret levels...well, the more secret levels a game has, the better (mainly because today's games hardly offer even one secret area within the game, let alone whole secret floors), and I like to make them very special with some crazy unique shit, so they really differ from every other level. It requires coding, sure, but none of these special rulings are rocket science, they could be programmed relatively easy, especially with (G)ZDoom, an engine which is so flexible. Here are the secret levels of Tristania 3D which use some special layout, ruling and such.

Wormhole - Remember the TNT-Evilution level with identical name? Well, this secret level is very similar, featuring two distinct areas which appear totally the same, with the exception of the ending. The player expects the start of the level to be the end of the level after he travels thru the wormhole and heads toward the exit? Heh heh heh, that "exit" elevator will hold something really nasty inside! The twist is - there is a hidden exit in that level as well, and since the area beyond the wormhole has all the secret areas opened, the player actually needs to take the "hidden" exit to finish the level.
(this also means that the hidden exit of the first area really leads to another secret level!)
I know, this is a bit confusing, but hell, I drank a little absinthe when designing that level, so no wonder it became quite twisted...

Ssssssh! - The player starts with only a knife and a pistol with 8 bullets. He can of course grab weapons, ammo and stuff on his way, the trick is: if you fire a gun, EVERY possible enemy on the whole level will hear it and rush towards you for the kill! And there are more than 100 enemies on this stage, so good luck fighting them. As you can imagine, it's a stealth level - if you wish to live, you must use only your knife, or the Stealth rifle. In their feedback, many players told me that Ssssssh! was actually the hardest level in the entire game, which I kind of agree with, but of course, there are tons of hidden areas and various traps to help the player killing the evil Courbée Dominate scum. Looks to me they forgot to look for secrets...

Goodbye Kitty! - I love Easter Egg-ish levels, or levels which provide a comic relief during the heat of the battle. This stage made many people's dream come true: kill Hello Kitty by filling her up with lead! Now THAT was satisfying!!!

Greed - This is the very first super-secret level, and it does involve some programming. The entire level is about collecting treasure from a sealed area. The problem is, the player has no weapons apart from a knife, and there are 8 Suicide Drones on the level, who also go after the treasure lying around, snatching it away from you! Which means, you need to be very quick if you wish to grab many points - ohhh, and you DO want to grab many points to get extra lives or extra savegames (Top Ace difficulty)!!! To make things even harder, there are no life restore items on the level, except an Artifact of Regeneration, which is extremely slow. And once all the treasure is gone, the Suicide Drones will start chasing you (as long as there is treasure, they'll only harm you if you get too close). And since I'm such a cruel bastard, about 10 Black Apostles will also storm the floor not long after all the treasure is gone, looking for the player. There are some secrets alright, but the player needs to dispatch some of the Suicide Drones to get them, and as for firearms, well, he has to hunt the Black Apostles down to get a Suomi machinegun, otherwise he is stuck with a knife.

Time-runner - The player finds himself at a totally empty floor with tons of supplies. Treasure, health restore stuff, Artifacts, items, but absolutely no firearms whatsoever (and ye, he only has a knife). The exit door is locked, and the key is somewhere in that floor. There is a HUGE enemy force approaching the floor, slowly but constantly, they arrive roughly in 5 minutes. During that time, the player can gobble up everything he finds. After the time is up though, he is doomed. How he'll spend that 5 minutes is up to him.
My advice is written at the short text prelude before the level: Find that key and SCRAM!!!

Mirror Rooms - Similar concept to Wormhole, though there are 4 identical areas the player needs to find his way out of. Teleports leading round and round, it's hard to know which places you've already visited.

Honour - It's a survival test. The player is in a fortified zone, stuffed with firearms, weaponry, health items, gold, Artifacts and everything. A gigantic enemy army surrounds that fortification, trying to kill the player. It's literally a crossfire, there are no safe spots, hidey holes, nothing! The player has to stand his ground and fight. There is a 3 minute timer, this is how long the assault lasts. For every second the player survives, he grabs 1000 points. The level will be over if the player is killed, or the timer runs out, and the player is immediately transferred to the next level with full health restored, and with all possessions. Survival test levels are tough but enjoyable, and there are tons of different methods to make one. This was mine.

Hypercubed!!! - Ever seen the movie "Cube 2 - Hypercube"? This level is one massive Easter Egg depicting that movie. The player is all alone, with only a knife, and there are fluorishing white walls around with black doors, each leads to an identical square room. This level features no enemies, no key-collecting, switch-throwing, nothing which resembles an oridinary level. Just find the exit and get out alive. Easy? Well, was it easy for the protagonists in the movie to get out? Many rooms contain lethal traps, and since this is a hypercube, there are occassional quantum-teleports which transfer the player to a random room within the hypercube, just like in the movie. In this level, even saving game is pointless, as you never know how much progress you made. Perhaps you were running around in circles?

Challenge levels - There are 3 of them. The player starts unarmed, and he must pass the entire level with only a knife. He needs to study his environment, use sabotage, trickery and finesse to overpower all the enemies. At the end of each Challenge stage, there are tons of supplies as a big reward if someone manages to pass the Challenge. However, there is also an emergency exit right at the start if someone finds the level too tough and wants to leave. Of course, such cowardice has its own punishment: the player will start the next level with a dagger!

[AD_79]

On the subject of "filler": It's kind of impossible to make a map that doesn't at least have some form of filler content; hell, I'd say it's a requirement most of the time. Now when I say "filler", I don't mean "this map has nothing interesting to it and exists for the sole purpose of filling up space". I'm talking about the use of trash/throwaway monsters that pose little threat to the player and basically signal progression throughout the map. If this wasn't here, you'd have little more than a few arenas in your map, and while that can work, it should be an extremely rare occasion.

On-topic: I go for a very improvisational route during mapping. Sure, I may think of an idea for a map beforehand, be it a simple structure, a visual theme or some sort of map gimmick. However, more often than not it turns into me drawing lines and asking myself if I like how it's progressing Honestly, it's a rubbish method but it seems to have been working so far.*

Something I attempt to do is make every enemy serve some sort of purpose (aside from just soaking up ammo and posing no threat for an extended period of time, this is boring; barons of hell are bad and you should feel bad for using them). It doesn't matter if it's a simple group of trash monsters around a corner or a large swarm of nasties in the map's main setpiece; they should all be there for a reason, be it to test the abilities of the player or simply to waste ammo on to increase stress later.

(EDIT: I forgot to mention I pay attention to making sure the layout flows nicely and in general doesn't suck and isn't generic hallway-room stuff etc etc)

One thing I like to do is play around with various mapping styles (this applies to architecture, shapes, texturing and thing placement). One map I'll do these certain things, another map I'll (at least make an attempt to) do a complete 180 and switch it up from the last one! I also supposedly take a lot of inspiration from other maps I've played and take elements from those maps, and then implement them in my own while putting my own twist on the idea.

tl;dr: practice and experiment!

*no seriously, here's a simple Ribbiks-inspired map I did a while back, I basically just drew shit I liked the looks of and then filled the rest in. (decently large images)

---

When I pretty much started the map


finished product:

[Marisa the Magician]

I tend to follow this for most maps I make (this is a technique I also use on UT99):

1. Make basic rooms and corridors. First on paper, in order to come up with a layout, then repeated in-game once I have a design I want.
2. Make doors, windows, and other "connections".
3. "Decorate" each room with details, sometimes just for the sake of increasing polycount (I went crazy with this once in an UT99 map, it was pretty... horrible for my 5200FX back then).
4. Add things.

It's not something that works every time, of course.

In terms of style... I don't really have a defined one.

[enderkevin13]

Four words: Inspiration, concept, design, and challenge.

Inspiration comes from a level you enjoy a lot. For example, I draw inspiration from simpler levels that also have a neat design.
Concept comes from what you wanna make. I usually make levels based around UAC bases and such. Occasionally a mix between hell and tech.
Design is a key component to making a good map. You don't ever want to leave the default textures OR use too much of the same texture.
Challenge is what every player looks for. Never, and I mean NEVER, make a level that is too easy to fully enjoy.

I hope these tips help you, and I wish you luck on your map.

[Reactor]

If the level is "too easy" for some reason, usually, there is something fishy about it. Kinda like "it's quiet here...maybe TOO quiet!"
I've met several levels like this, and was caught by an ambush or a relentless boss enemy totally off-guard. It taught me to be wary of anything that looks too good to be true. If you notice the super-atomic acme ray gun just lying there totally unguarded, it usually comes with a dear price later on...

[enderkevin13]

If the level is "too easy" for some reason, usually, there is something fishy about it. Kinda like "it's quiet here...maybe TOO quiet!"
I've met several levels like this, and was caught by an ambush or a relentless boss enemy totally off-guard. It taught me to be wary of anything that looks too good to be true. If you notice the super-atomic acme ray gun just lying there totally unguarded, it usually comes with a dear price later on...

On a couple custom levels, there were plasma guns in these empty looking rooms all unguarded, and my instinct kicked in.
I grabbed it, switch to my SSG, and shot everywhere, only to realize it wasn't a trap. Fuck my life...